Authorities have twice interviewed Bears lineman Terry “Tank” Johnson following the fatal shooting of Johnson’s bodyguard at a North Side nightclub where both men spent early Saturday morning, police said.

Willie Posey, 26, was shot once and found lying inside the Ice Bar, 738 N. Clark St., in the trendy River North neighborhood just after 1:30 a.m., said police spokeswoman Monique Bond.

Johnson’s attorney held a brief news conference this afternoon after the Bears star was re-interviewed by Chicago police at his Gurnee home. Johnson had been interviewed earlier in Chicago after the shooting. He is not considered a suspect in the shooting, police said.

“Tank Johnson had no direct responsibility for this tragic shooting,” attorney Thomas Briscoe said. “He has cooperated with Chicago police and continues to cooperate this afternoon. At the request of the Chicago Police Department, we’re not going to discuss details so as not to compromise the investigation.”

Chicago Police Supt. Philip Cline said a fight broke out before the shooting took place at 1:30 a.m. Saturday and it appears only one shot was fired. The round struck Posey in the left shoulder and traveled into his chest. The victim was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital a short time later.

Cline said he did not have details on what caused the fight to break out but a team source said police told the team that Johnson was not involved in the incident that sparked the shooting.

“We are right in the middle of this thing. So I am not going to talk about what witnesses have said,” Cline explained. He said the department continues to interview witnesses and that there have been no arrests.

Briscoe said Johnson and Posey had been friends for at least 10 years, since high school in Tempe, Ariz. Posey was staying with Johnson “but was in the process of moving out.”

Johnson, 25, and Posey were charged Thursday after police raided Johnson’s Gurnee home and found six guns, some of which were loaded and laying in plain view. The Bears have benched Johnson for Sunday’s game.

Johnson was charged with six misdemeanor counts of unlawful possession of a weapon without a Firearm Owner’s Identification card. The weapons seized during the raid included a .44 magnum Smith & Wesson revolver, a .50 caliber Desert Eagle handgun, a .45 caliber handgun, a .308 caliber Winchester rifle and two assault-style rifles–a Colt AR-15 and a .223 caliber.

Posey, who listed the same Gurnee address as his home, was charged with felony possession of marijuana. Police said they found more than 2 ounces of marijuana on a table where Posey was sitting.

When asked why Johnson was partying at a nightclub less than 36 hours after his arrest, his attorney answered, “I can’t comment on that.”

Briscoe said Johnson has spoken to Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo and Bobby Howard, the team’s director of player development. He said Johnson is concerned about the shooting’s possible impact on his status with the team.

“Of course he’s worried about that. He’s worried about his two families, his first family being his two daughters and his second family being the Chicago Bears and Chicago Bear fans. He’s very concerned that people are going to get the idea that he has let them down.”

The Bears issued a statement Saturday that they were aware of the shooting, but didn’t mention Johnson by name. “We are currently gathering information to learn more about the situation,” the statement said.

The Bears had a brief “walkthrough” practice Saturday morning, their final preparation for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Soldier Field. The team’s Halas Hall training facility in Lake Forest was under tight security and no visitors or news media representatives were allowed on the grounds.

Johnson’s attorney said the lineman is heartbroken about the loss of his friend.

“He’s going through a tough grieving process. He’s getting hundreds of phone calls from friends and supporters. And he needs some quiet time. He is confused because everything happened so quickly,” Briscoe said

A Cook County judge today sentenced a reputed gang member to 105 years in prison for gunning down Chicago police Officer Alejandro “Alex” Valadez in 2009.In issuing the maximum sentence possible, Judge Jorge Alonso said Christopher Harris, 25, killed “one of the best of us.” Earlier, Valadez’s sisters tearfully had asked for the maximum penalty. Valadez’s first child was born a few months after his slaying. Harris declined to make a statement in court and looked down at his hands as the sentence was handed down.State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, who personally prosecuted the case, had sought the 105-year sentence, saying “the criminals running around the streets of Englewood need to know there’s serious (consequences) for what you do.”

Kevin Walker, who was driving the car used in the shooting, was sentenced by Alonso to the maximum of 120 years in prison.

“We’ve lost a shining star and one of our best police officers,” Alonso said.

Walker, who faced from 56 to 120 years, apologized to Valadez’s family before he was sentenced.

Walker, who told police his nickname was “Killer Kev,” faced a longer sentence than Harris in part because he was on probation for an armed robbery at the time of the officer’s murder.

The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to honoring the lives of our fallen heroes. The Foundation provides support and assistance to the families of Chicago police officers who are killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty.

ABOUT THE CHICAGO POLICE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

Established in 2004, the Foundation strengthens the relationship between the Chicago Police, its business and civic leaders and its citizenry. It allows us to express our gratitude to the fallen officers’ families for the ultimate sacrifice of their loved one.

REASONS FOR THE FOUNDATION

Since the first officer to die in the line of duty, there have been 567 Chicago police officers who have sacrificed their lives for our city. The families of these brave officers are supported by the Department and other organizations, but as one might imagine, the cost in terms of financial, emotional and psychological support is overwhelming. Other, perhaps less-known risks associated with being a police officer are the stresses of the job. This stress often leads to disastrous consequences such as when a police officer takes his own life. Finally, as a tribute to the heroic lives that these officers led, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation has built a permanent memorial to these brave men and women. It is a spectacular site located just east of Soldier Field on Chicago’s lakefront.

WHY CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOUNDATION

By supporting these initiatives, our public-private partnership provides the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation with the means to achieve our goals. It is a sign to all the citizens of Chicago, as well as our nation, that Chicago’s corporate family and business leaders care about its police officers and their families. Your support is a reminder that when troubled times arise, we come together as families do, and provide comfort, support, and protection for one another.

When the phone rang at 10:30 p.m. on July 18, 2011, Jeff Friedlieb was afraid to pick it up for fear that something terrible had happened to his son, who had followed his dad into the Chicago Police Department.

“I was sitting at home and I got a call….He says, `Come to the County [Hospital]. I’ve got a bullet in my head,’ ” the elder Friedlieb recalled.

“Most parents would get that call and they’d be in the alley picking up his brains…You have to thank God when you take a bullet in the back of your head and have the audacity to fire back and shoot the guy.”

On Tuesday, the elder Jeff Friedlieb was in the City Council chambers to watch his son and namesake receive the Carter Harrison Award, this year’s highest honor for police bravery, along with his partner, Officer Ruben Del Valle.

Both plainclothes officers were shot while attempting to arrest a man they had observed allegedly engaging in a drug deal in a West Side alley.

During the struggle, the suspect allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired several shots. Del Valle was hit in the arm and head. Friedlieb was shot in the head. The bullet remains lodged behind his left ear.

Somehow, the wounded Friedlieb managed to return fire, striking the fleeing suspect. Charges were subsequently dropped against one suspect, but another is awaiting trial.

“I went down. Luckily, I was still conscious. I was able to fight back and wound the offender,” said the younger Friedlieb, who still suffers sometimes from severe headaches.

“It was pretty much will and training, dedication to the job….You don’t really think about the injury. You think more about catching the offender. Your adrenalin takes over…[Afterwards], you look at life differently. It is a second chance.”

The partners credited their military training with carrying them through on that fateful day.

“I realized my partner was shot. I was shot. The first thing on my mind was, `Okay, we’re still moving. We’re still able to get up on our feet and chase this guy.’ That will [to live] is just survival. Your body just takes over. You get that feeling of, `I’ve got to make it out of here. I’ve got to make it home,’ ” Del Valle said.

Nearly a half-dozen of the police officers honored during Tuesday’s ceremony had been shot by criminals they were trying to apprehend.

The elder Friedlieb, who was shot at, but never hit during 42 years on the streets of Chicago, couldn’t help but take notice.

“They’re getting bolder….It’s a lot harder for the officers today,” the father said.

The Lambert Tree Award, this year’s highest honor for fire bravery, went to Lieutenant/EMT John Majka and firefighter/paramedic Anthony Licato.

Together, they rescued a bedridden, 94-year-old woman from the second floor of a burning house on the Far South Side.

Despite intense heat and blinding smoke, Majka didn’t wait for water lines to be hooked up before beginning the search. He charged up the stairs, found the woman and was attempting to carry her out unconscious just as Licato arrived with a hose line to help him.

“I saw her ankle hanging off the bed right near the floor and just crawled up to her face. I could see she was burned. But she did take a breath, so that led me to believe she had a chance to survive. So, I kicked it into higher gear and got her out of there,” Majka recalled.

Pressed on what went through his mind on that day, Majka said, “You do have to choke down that uncertainty and that fear and push forward. It’s only human to do that. But that’s what we do.”

For Licato, being called a hero wasn’t easy. He said he would “much rather be at the firehouse.”

The best part of Tuesday’s ceremony was bringing his sons, ages 2 and 4, to the fire academy.

“They’re very excited to be here…They love the Fire Department. This was a big day for them,” he said, to the squeals of his delighted children.

The Edison Park Chamber of Commerce has purchased a five foot fire hydrant which will be on display at the Edison Park Metra Station. This hydrant will be designed and painted by a local artist. The Great Chicago Fire Hydrant program is benefiting the 100 Club.

The 100 Club of Chicago is the civilian organization that provides for the families of police officers, firefighters and paramedics who have lost their lives in the line-of-duty. The Club helps families ease the financial burden associated with the tragic event, including immediate financial assistance and the ongoing cost of higher education. Click HERE to learn more about this organization!

If you are an active or retired Chicago Police Officer, Chicago Firefighter, or Chicago Paramedic, you can purchase name space for $50.00. You must be an Edison Park resident. Edison Park boundaries: Harlem to Canfield/Ozanam and Howard to Higgins. Space can also be purchased in memory of a Chicago Police Officer, Chicago Firefighter, or Chicago Paramedic who was an Edison Park resident.

The fire hydrant will be on display in Edison Park for approximately six weeks and then will be auctioned off. ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE 100 CLUB.

The deadline to purchase name space in October 21st. Click HERE to reserve space.

Below is a photo of another fire hydrant on display in Chicago! Click HERE to learn more about the Great Chicago Fire Hydrant Program!

A South Side man has been charged with hitting a Chicago police officer in the head with a baseball bat as the officer tried to break up a fight in the West Englewood neighborhood over the weekend.

Tythia Thigpen, 29, of the 5700 block of South Winchester Avenue, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery to a peace officer and aggravated battery use of deadly weapon, police said. He is expected to appear in bond court today.

Thigpen was taken into custody around 8:30 p.m. Monday after surrendering at the Area South police station in the Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side.

The officer was struck around 12:40 a.m. Saturday in the 5700 block of South Winchester Avenue while trying to break up a fight possibly involving “dozens” of people, according to police sources.

The officer was taken in serious condition to Stroger Hospital and has been released. He is an Englewood District beat officer who joined the department in 2009, sources said.

Thigpen has an arrest record that includes murder charges in 2004, according to court documents. He was found not guilty and released in 2006. In 2009, he pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine.